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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28155801">Between Two Lungs, Between Two Hearts</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebel_raven/pseuds/rebel_raven'>rebel_raven</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alfredo and Gavin are retired gay pirates, Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Alfredo, BAMF Fiona, BAMF Gavin, BAMF Jeremy, BAMF Lindsay, Blood, Blood Drinking, Crew as Family, Do not fuck with this coven, F/F, F/M, Fey are assholes, Found Family, Graphic Description of Pain, Graphic descriptions of violence, Hell Hounds, Jeremy is a fresh vampire, Jeremy's a vampire now, Juniper the Cat, Kissing, M/M, Mentions of corpses, Minor Character Death, Near Death Experiences, Omar the corgi, Past Character Death, Past Stabbing, Sign Language, Soft Husbands, They own a bed and breakfast, Vampires, Violence, Werewolves, Witches, a lot of blood, fey, panic attcks, past major character death, werebear</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 17:40:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,878</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28155801</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebel_raven/pseuds/rebel_raven</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Alfredo had taken over from his Captain, and sire, for years. He and Gavin had settled their crew, made a cottage from the ship so that they were always with their first home. They started a bed and breakfast, and they'd had been in a relationship for two years with Jeremy. Everything was perfect. Until an old enemy that was the reason for Jeremy having to be turned into a vampire returns and hurts their family once again, keeping themselves together and taking out the threat is all that keeps them going. And then it's a waiting game.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alfredo Diaz/Gavin Free/Jeremy Dooley, Jack Pattillo/Geoff Ramsey, Lindsay Tuggey Jones/Fiona Nova, Matt Bragg/Michael Jones, Sarah Weems/Steffie Hardy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Between Two Lungs, Between Two Hearts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAddSalt/gifts">JustAddSalt</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A RT writing community secret santa for JustAddSalt! This was so much fun to write and I wanted to write for more than one prompt, but I wound up going with "Vampire AU - The previous head of the coven has tragically passed and now Person A must take their place. While working to expand the coven a bit they wind up turning the biggest idiot they've ever met and now they have to teach them how to be a vampire while also keeping them from doing something stupid or dangerous." <br/>I wound up switching up a little bit, but I tried to keep as close to the original prompt as I could. Thank you so much for such amazing prompts, I hope you enjoy this! </p><p>-RR</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Alfredo sighed and stretched, cracking his back with a sigh. He looked around the front/dining room with a soft smile, the distant crash of waves comforting and soothing in a distant way. The room was bright, bay windows overlooking the front garden and the cliff that sloped down to the sea, the flower garden blooming with nightshades and belladonna’s, as well as tulips, sunflowers and roses, and Alfredo made a mental note to put some of the less lethal flowers on the center tables. He looked back down at the ledger he was balancing and paused, rubbing his wrists before he slowly rotated them out, stretching them with a soft hiss. The dining room was comfortable, wood floor, soft yellow walls and exposed beams, it was something out of a fairy tale and Alfredo always felt a touch of pride being in there. The door that opened out to the gravel path was heavy and ancient, and technically had been his when he’d been the captain of </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Wraith. <br/></span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo leaned back in his chair and sighed as he let his eyes wander out to the main room, the comfortable couches and stone fireplace looked so inviting. He looked down at the paperwork on the table and ran a hand through his hair. It had been a hell of a time setting up their little bed and breakfast, but the small coven had settled well there instead of continuing out at sea. The bed and breakfast was quietly comfortable, and had been made into a waypoint for those travelling through the area, by sea, car, foot, horse, or however else people were travelling these days. Alfredo smoothed his palms over his little desk, smiling to himself. Comfortable was never something he’d expected, and yet, there they all were. Geoff and Jack were off in the market, setting up things for their own cottage a little ways into town, Fiona, Trevor and Michael were all down fishing for things to eat, Jeremy and Gavin had been out for a few hours doing something or other, and Lindsay was likely baking. Sarah, Matt, and Steffie, he wasn’t sure exactly where they were, only that they were around, after having been gone for the last month while Jeremy had been resting and getting used to being a vampire. Alfredo let out another breath and looked at the photo on the wall. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t really a photo but rather a sketch of an older woman, her beaming smile radiating warmth and her dark brown skin dotted with darker freckles. Copper rimmed glasses were perched on her nose, her tricorn hat jauntily tilted back, bright golden eyes dancing with laughter and warmth, her arm slung around his shoulders and his around her back, the both of them leaning into each other, </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Wraith’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>mast in the background. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What would you think, East?” Alfredo asked quietly. “Would you think this was a good idea or a terrible one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He missed his captain so much. Some days it was like a physical pain in his chest, even if it had been nearly five years. East had always known what to do and what to say, but Alfredo had gotten tired of sailing, of never having a port to return to or a place to settle. Adventuring had been fun for a decent amount of time, but after a while, it just got old, and he could feel himself getting old, deep in his bones. He was jolted out of his thoughts by the door knob jiggling and Alfredo got up, eyebrows climbing as he got over to the door. He opened it and nearly jolted at the sudden weight in his arms, a familiar bald head and broad shoulders, one side of Jeremy’s face bruised to hell and his nose at a slightly awkward angle though it had been reset. There was dried blood running over his lips and chin, clearly from the resetting of his nose, and his clothes were torn and ripped up. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the fuck-?!” He started, only to yelp as Jeremy clenched tight to his arms, grip like iron bands. “Gavin, J, what happened?!” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi Fredo” Jeremy rasped, giving him a shaky smile. “‘m fine,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bullshit,” Alfredo snorted, wrapping his arms better around Jeremy and hauling him up with a grunt. “Come on. Gav, what the hell happened out there?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeremy whimpered and Alfredo carried most of his weight to the table. There was blood, though nothing seemed to be gushing, <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lil J picked a fight with gravity,” Gavin said, a touch breathless. “And lost, badly.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just wanted to see if I could climb up the cliff face,” Jeremy grunted, closing his eyes as he laid his head back, letting Alfredo lay him down on the mostly empty table. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Why</span>
  </em>
  <span>?!” Alfredo demanded as he gently poked and prodded at Jeremy’s sides and chest to check for broken bones. “Lil J, you know that that area is basically sand. It won’t hold, no matter how fast you climb!” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But what if I managed to move faster than the sand could collapse, Fredo?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin huffed and shook his head. “No, no you can’t Lil J, that’s not how it works. I took you out to the cliffs to start to get used to climbing with your fingers and how to sheath and unsheathe your claws, not nearly kill yourself,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo snorted and pressed a little harder at Jeremy’s side. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did I say about doing stupid shit?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But it’s not stupid if I write it down first!” Jeremy protested, pushing himself up to his elbows and gave Alfredo a crooked smile that shouldn’t have been as charming as it was. “That’s what you all say, and it’s what the Mythbusters say too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, and they’re not vampires or witches,” Gavin sighed, though he was smiling a little. “Seriously Lil J, you’ve got to be more careful. You’re literally less than a month old in terms of vampire logic, no matter if you’re nearly thirty.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lindsay poked their head out of the kitchen, their eyebrows climbing at the scene. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lil J, what happened? You look like hell,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He picked a fight with gravity and lost,” Alfredo explained, picking at Jeremy’s torn up clothes and the sand in cuts and scrapes. “You’re certainly healing up well though, so that’s good. You’re so damn lucky that vampires don’t get infections,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well he’s more likely to catch a cold the way he is at the moment,” Lindsay snorted, shaking their head with a smile. “I’ll go get you some clothes.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re the best,” Jeremy wheezed and Alfredo put a hand to his heart. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was steady and slow and Alfredo looked at Jeremy, raising an eyebrow. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you promise to stop scaring us both shitless?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please?” Gavin asked, a little pleading. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can promise to try,” Jeremy finally said, sighing. “Just trying to get used to it and wanna push myself.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just because you’re functionally immortal doesn’t mean that you should push yourself to see how much it’ll take,” Gavin said, rubbing his temples. “Gods, I sound like East.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo laughed, shaking his head. “Yeah, and you know she’d be in shock cause of that. You were always the reckless witch moving at a breakneck pace.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s still a reckless witch moving at a breakneck pace,” Jeremy pointed out, laying back down when Alfredo gently pushed him down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Be that as it may, really don’t need to be taking after his example.” Alfredo said, trying to be stern and landing somewhere closer to fondly exasperated. “Seriously Jeremy, one of these days you’re not going to get back up.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>He huffed and rolled a shoulder in a shrug. “I know that I can still die and all that.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should be more careful out in the sun while I’m at it,” Alfredo added, looking at the burns that were developing on Jeremy’s arms. “Just cause we don’t immediately burst into flames doesn’t mean we can’t die in too much sun. We’re lucky in that our witch blood makes us closer to day walkers, but you can’t ever not be too careful.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeremy nodded, sighing, though he didn’t protest the lecture. He knew how lucky he was to be born a witch and have the magic he did, and be able to walk out in the middle of the day. Their “coven” was really four vampires, three witches, a werebear, a werewolf, a shapeshifter, and two fey, but it was still a point. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need blood?” Alfredo asked, running a hand over Jeremy’s head, soothing something in him. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t answer for a moment before he nodded and sighed. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Prolly should, yeah.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo patted his shoulder and helped Jeremy sit up, squeezing his shoulder gently. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You wanna blood bag or a drink from one of us?” Gavin asked. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Saying that makes you sound like a capri sun,” Jeremy pointed out with a grin. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin giggled and Alfredo snorted in amusement. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where’s the straw then?” Gavin asked, wriggling his eyebrows and Jeremy barked out a laugh, shaking his head. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re disgusting, why are you like this?” Jeremy complained, shoving Gavin away from him. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin just squeaked with laughter and Alfredo laughed harder, wrapping his arms around his stomach. Jeremy just heaved a put upon sigh and shook his head, though he couldn’t hide his smile or the mirth dancing in his eyes. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mere?” Jeremy finally asked, reaching out and tugging gently at Gavin’s arm. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin gave a small smile and nodded, grabbing a chair and turning it around so he could straddle it and more easily hold his wrist up for Jeremy to bite down. Blood always came easier when someone was sitting down and since Jeremy didn’t need a lot, it was easier to keep blood from running down his arm and ruining his shirt. Jeremy shifted around, moving so he was sitting cross legged and pulled Gavin’s wrist up to his lips and hovered for a moment before biting down. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin bit back a shiver at the feeling. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but it was definitely intense, and no matter how loose their “coven” was in terms of being a “coven” by traditional terms, it was still a big deal to drink from another vampire. It was a sign of trust that too much blood wouldn’t be taken and leave them starving, or needing to drink more than they needed. A liter would sustain a normal vampire but a newly turned one needed at least a liter and a half, maybe a little more depending on how they were built and how active they were. Gavin knew Jeremy wouldn’t take nearly enough to sustain himself, just enough to take the edge off his injuries and then stick to warmed up blood bags, but it was still sweet, if stupid. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“J, take what you need,” Gavin said, feeling Jeremy’s confused noise vibrate through his arm. “My blood, you sausage. I’d rather have a wicked bruise than you sucking down blood bags like their capri suns with shitty straws. I will hold your head down, don’t think I won’t,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>The last part was more jest than serious threat, but Gavin had had to hold Alfredo down in the past to get him to drink. It wouldn’t be too different with Jeremy, though thankfully their boyfriend wasn’t as much of an idiot as he could be. At least when it came to eating and taking care of himself that way. Jeremy drank a little longer at his arm before he pulled away, licking the sluggishly bleeding wounds closed and humming against the sensitive skin before he pressed a feather light kiss to the darkening bruise. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, love,” Jeremy mumbled against Gavin’s wrist, making him blush slowly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop throwing yourself up cliffs,” Alfredo said, leaning around to press a kiss at Jeremy’s temple. “And we’ll be okay, baby.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But </span>
  <em>
    <span>science. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I’m a witch! It’s literally what I do! I’m a magical healer, which means I’m basically a magic doctor and thus a magic scientist. If I can’t know what my limits are, how am I gonna improve?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin chuckled at that and poked Alfredo in the shoulder with his not bitten arm. “He’s got you there. I remember you bitching to East about the same thing, Freyde,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but I wasn’t throwing myself up a cliff!” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Lindsay said, coming back downstairs and smirking at him. “You were just trying to tow yourself behind the ship cause you wanted to make sure if you went overboard you could keep up.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeremy burst into laughter as Alfredo blushed and cried, </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Lindsay! You weren’t supposed to tell him that!” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no, I’m entitled to telling all the embarrassing stories,” they said with a grin. “You two get to be the ones telling him not to do shit and keep him from being stupid.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin and Alfredo both huffed and Jeremy just smiled at the pair of them. They were like an old married couple, and he was forever confused and amazed when they brought him into their relationship and then saved him by turning him. The sharp pain in his ribs and the healed scar tissue around his sternum still hurt like hell. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lil J?” Lindsay asked, catching his attention. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmn?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve got some clothes for you,” they said, handing him a pile of fresh clothes. The clothes smelled like dirt, sand, and seasalt. “The hoodie is Alfredo’s, but it should fit, right?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded and gave them a thankful smile, taking the bundle and careful not to press it to his chest. Jeremy looked down at himself and frowned. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I need a god damn shower. I look like I crawled out of a sand dune and lost a fight in the same instant. May take a nap too, if I can,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go take care of you, baby,” Alfredo said, pressing another kiss to his temple. “We’ll be down here,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeremy just nodded, his head slowly filling with noise and he got off the table slowly, still not entirely used to his body rapidly healing from physical injuries from drinking blood as it did. It was definitely a drastic one-eighty from what he usually experienced. High impact empathy magic could be incredibly useful in that he could quickly heal someone of what was ailing them, with the downside of he would have to suffer through the physical manifestations of it when it transferred over to him. It was painful and never quick, and it left him feeling wrung out for days afterwards. He shuffled through the main room to the stairs that led upstairs to his, Gavin and Alfredo’s bedroom and their ensuite bathroom. The creak of the stairs was comforting, and the low lit hall was comforting to his still thudding head -- blood could only heal so much and it couldn’t take away headaches, only the concussions that started them. Jeremy sighed as he pushed the door to their room open and paused, hovering like he were unsure all over again, something taking him mentally back to two years previous in an instant. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>The large comfortable bed and the large dresser at the left wall, the drawing table at the other, large greenhouse window overlooking the sea, their shared closet and the shoes tucked under the foot of the bed. The sheets were still turned down and mussed, a vague dark brown shape curled up in the blankets with a caramel-black shape. How many nights had the three of them curled up underneath those blankets, how many kisses, slow and heated, had that bed seen. So many times they’d tripped over the threshold, giggling and panting, snapping at each other and leaving bruising marks across every possible inch. Jeremy shook himself and went to the bathroom, pausing at the bed to scratch Juniper’s head, the norwegian forest cat butting her head up into his hand and Omar’s leg thumped a few times on the bed, the corgi’s leg kicking at the air as Jeremy scratched his side. He smiled and gave the three legged dog one more pat before he headed to the bathroom. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeremy stripped out of his clothes and turned the shower on to full blast, waiting for it to heat up a little before stepping inside. It was fantastically hot, and with his much slower blood circulation, the heat was fantastic. He cleaned himself off, wincing a little as he hit tender spots and flexed his fingers. They hurt a little still, but not nearly as much as they had earlier, so he would take it. Jeremy brushed a hand over the ugly scar over his sternum, the thick scarring no longer sensitive but it felt tight as though it were still healing. Jeremy knew it was mostly phantom pains, but being stabbed had sucked. It hadn’t been his fault either, but he’d managed to piss off a fey to the point that they stabbed him, and Matt had taken care of the other fey, though it didn’t stop that Jeremy was bleeding out. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo and Gavin hadn’t been willing to let him go, and he hadn’t wanted to die, and he wound up getting turned. It was definitely an adjustment process, and Jeremy only felt a little bad for how much he was pushing himself -- there was something about the way his body moved and how much strength he had, what he could do and how much he could pull off, that just made him want to push and push. Even when he’d been mortal, Jeremy pushed himself. As soon as he found a boundary for himself, a limit to what his body could do, that just meant that he could find a way to get better at something, or more accurately, when he was afraid of something, that he had to push past it. Like his fear of heights. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rush of air was still something that whistled through his ears, adding to the white noise of the shower and his ribs ached for a completely different reason just then. He pressed his hand against the cool tile of the shower and took deep slow breaths, pressing his forehead against it to try and keep himself steady. Breathe. Just breathe. He could do that. It took a few minutes, but he managed to calm his heart and steady his breathing, the steam of the hot shower filling his lungs with diluted soap and steam. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay Dooley,” he mumbled. “Okay. You’re okay,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>He scrubbed a little harder at his face and pulled himself a little more together. He’d talk to Gavin and Alfredo about it later, when they weren’t getting ready for the next group of guests scheduled to arrive later that day. The group were registered as vampires, which were either fine with their coven or stuck up assholes about the whole thing and it made the visit tense and unnecessarily dramatic. Most of their coven lived in the nearby cottages in town, since they all had jobs of their own that didn’t come with owning a small bed and breakfast. They could comfortably fit three families of four to five people in the rooms, which was nice, and Lindsay and Matt offered their services as cooks to, as they both said, save the guests from Gavin and Alfredo’s attempts at cooking. Jeremy was allowed in the kitchen since he didn’t get distracted, and he liked to cook, but making enough food for breakfasts for so many people was a bit much in the early morning when he’d rather be curled up in his blankets and in his lovers arms. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was happy to maintain the garden and the general upkeep of the bed and breakfast, which had been made from </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Wraith’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>timber, mixed with stone and painted and stained hardwood. The cottage was warm and bright, the halls not narrow like he’d expected when he heard that it had been made from the ship, and Jeremy wasn’t sure if that made him happy or sad. The smell of the sea seemed to fill the cottage, even when the wind from the sea wasn’t blowing, and it was comforting as the smell of fresh baked bread or the clean blankets on the bed. He turned off the water and stepped out, drying himself off and pulling on the clean clothes with a soft sigh. Juniper merped at him and jumped up onto his shoulders as Omar barked and struggled to get to his feet, having tangled himself in the blankets and sheets. Jeremy laughed and pulled the dog free and set him down on the ground, giving his butt a few good scratches. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, let’s go see Fredo and Gav,” he said, rubbing at Juniper’s chin, the massive dark brown cat kneading at his shoulders. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Omar barked and bolted down the hall and then skidded on the hardwood floor to turn sharp enough and thump down the stairs, barking excitedly. Jeremy chuckled and Juniper purred in his ear, butting her head against his and nibbling at his hood, making him laugh. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Juni, stop that! You’re going to fall otherwise,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>She just purred and chewed a little more at his hoodie, making him huff and reach up to gently nudge her head away from the hood. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gremlin,” he said affectionately. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could hear Michael and Matt chattering happily in the main room and took the stairs two at a time to get down and meet the others, grinning when he saw them. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Myatt! Michael!” he called.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Myatt!” Michael echoed, smirking at Jeremy as Matt rolled his eyes and huffed. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’re you doing, man?” Matt asked as Jeremy walked the rest of the way down the stairs. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Holding up,” he said, patting his chest. “It’s not nearly as bad as it could be. Where’ve you been?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Around,” Matt said vaguely, waving a hand. “Dealing with that fey and the fall out,” he explained when Jeremy gave him a flat look. “It’s a pretty big thing to fuck with a coven, even one as untraditional as ours. We’re also an established neutral point, since I </span>
  <em>
    <span>refuse </span>
  </em>
  <span>to deal with the Court’s bullshittery again. Fifi escaped cause she wasn’t at the scene.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michael snorted. “You nearly ripped them a new asshole, how is that refusing to deal with them?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like you weren’t ready to rip them to shreds,” Matt retorted calmly, smirking a little at his husband. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michael rolled his eyes and huffed, though he didn’t argue the point. He did shove Matt a little though and grin when Matt made a surprised noise and moved out of his way before Matt could shove him back. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Omar went bolting Alfredo, by the way, and Treh’s with him,” Michael said, gesturing down the hall. “And Fifi’s stolen Gavvers, so good luck getting your boyfriend back. Geoff and Jack are in the garden though, and Lindsay, Sarah and Steffie have confiscated the kitchen and the dining room. Apparently they’re prepping for an asshole coven,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeremy rubbed his temples. Things never ended. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks Michael,” he sighed. “How was fishing?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good, we got more than enough, and there’s some clams down at the front, if you wanna go down with me,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Jeremy nodded. “Lemme just get some shoes and get Juni detached from me,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll take her,” Matt said, reaching out and holding his arms out for Juniper. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>The dark brown wegie meowed and jumped from Jeremy’s shoulders to Matt’s chest, landing with a happy </span>
  <em>
    <span>meep </span>
  </em>
  <span>and a gentle “Ouff,” from Matt. Juniper immediately wrapped herself around Matt’s shoulders like a scarf, kneading at his shoulders. Michael slung an arm around Jeremy’s shoulders, grinning at him as Jeremy grinned back, wrapping his arm around Michael’s back. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yo, Freydee! I’m stealing your man!” Michael yelled. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which one?” Alfredo called back. “You still have all your limbs for trying to take Gav from Fifi? If you woke J up when he was napping, I’m gonna kick your ass!” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Love you too, babe!” Jeremy called with a smile. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo poked his head into the room, Omar in his arms, the corgi’s butt wriggling as his stumpy tail wagged. His expression softened when he saw Jeremy awake and content and nodded. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’re you feeling, baby?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Better after the shower,” Jeremy said with a nod. “Michael and I’re going to the beach to try and dig up some clams,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo wrinkled his nose a little. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Babe, I love you, but please keep your stoney mucus shellfish away from me.” he paused, then added, “Unless you’re gonna make clam chowder.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can do that,” Jeremy laughed. “Don’t worry.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo beamed and ducked his head to kiss Jeremy sweetly, humming as Jeremy leaned into it, kissing him back. He itched to deepen it, but he pulled away instead and smiled when Jeremy pulled him down to kiss his temple, a playful pout on the shorter man’s face. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take care, try not to completely lose your minds prepping for the assholes,” Jeremy said, pulling away. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo heaved a sigh and rolled his shoulder. “Trust me, I’m gonna need it. Wirven is coming,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeremy scowled and shook his head, suddenly very happy that he would be at the beach. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fucker,” he spat. “Why’re we letting him and those bastards who run with him stay here? They’re shitty for business, Alfredo,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo sighed. “Trust me, I know. They’ve already got two strikes against them. One more and they’ll be dissolved.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Good.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Jeremy growled, ignoring how his chest tightened and his ribs ached viciously. “They have the gall to look down on our coven like the hypocrites they are. They’ve got fey in their coven too, for fucks sake, and they’re Unseeliy,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, baby, I know,” Alfredo said, shifting Omar in his arms a little. “We only have to deal with them for a night though, and then we’re done with them. But I’m serious, if you start to feel like they’re too much, tell Gav and I and we’ll kick them out.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeremy smiled a little and nodded. “Thanks, love,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” Alfredo said with a smile and a small shrug. “No one listens to them, and besides that, we’ve got more credit with the magical community than any of those fuckers. If they try and start shit, it’ll be shut down faster than they can blink.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeremy let out a long breath. “Good.” he usually liked to give people the benefit of the doubt, to trust that they were just having an off day or that they could change, but some people were just rotten and twisted bastards. “Come on, Michael, let’s get clamming.” he needed to blow off steam and hurl some rocks into the ocean. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michael patted his shoulder and nodded to Alfredo. “We’ll be back in a few hours, don’t worry. I’ll have him up before the assholes get here,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, do I have a curfew now?” Jeremy asked, grinning as he lifted an eyebrow. “Is this a festival dance?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, though I forgot my corsage. And I’ve never been to a festival dance. Matt was a cheapskate,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t like to dance, or crowds,” Jeremy retorted, shoving his friend a little. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Point still stands.” Michael said with a shrug. “I want a corsage and all that fancy shit. Hear that Matt?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can do fancy, but I’ll be damned if I’m wearing a suit again without reason!” Matt said with a teasing grin. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeremy laughed and shook his head. He knew his friend would happily wear a suit if shoving Michael a little more. “Come on, Michael, let’s go. Love you, Freydo,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Love you too, Lil J. If you see Gavvers and Fifi, do me a favor and take them with you? Keep them from causing chaos,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought that they were painting each other's nails?” Matt said. “Though, that does tend to lead to their more nefarious pranks…” he paused, paling a little. “You know maybe you should go find them?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michael giggled as Jeremy grinned. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, Myatt,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh gods, what did I just do,” Matt muttered to himself as the pair left. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gav! Fifi!” Jeremy’s voice floated towards them from the open door. “Come on we’re going to the beach!” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jeremy! There you are!” Fiona cried, a smile in her voice. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here I am? I’ve been here! You’re the one that’s been gone all morning!” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well someone had to get shit done, didn’t they?” Fiona retorted. “Come on, I have an umbrella for you and Gavvers,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo gently knocked Matt’s shoulder with his own, smiling. “Come on, man. You can help Trevor and I with setting up our shit. And you can fill us in on what happened while you were out,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Matt’s expression shifted to something more serious and he nodded. “It’s a lot of news,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo nodded solemnly and sighed, heading to his, Gavin and Jeremy’s office. It was just off the dining room, a little addition that they’d built to resemble his captain’s quarters. It was comfortable with shelves lining two walls, filled with books and what trinkets that Alfredo and Gavin didn’t want to be out and about, but also didn’t want to lock away in a safe. There were flintlock pistols that were still usable but mostly decoration, beautiful geodes that they’d found, Alfredo and Gavin’s favorite hats, hanging on a coat rack with their favorite coats -- they still wore them when they were going to be outside for more than two or three hours. There were three large maps tacked around the space, and East’s sketches, the ones that they’d kept and not given away to the others, framed and hung. The shelves were full of log books and novels, and the occasional “travel guide”, a journal that had been filled to the brim with Geoff’s musings and observations about the local culture, everything from day to day things that they went through to conversations with people and what he’d eaten that day. There was a window but it was mostly to keep the room from getting stuffy, and thick curtains blocked out the light. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a large desk that had a laptop, one of the few pieces of higher technology that worked around so much magic, surrounded by papers and carefully kept ledgers in Gavin’s steady hand and sketchbooks filled with Jeremy’s drawings of their clients. It helped to keep a record of their clientele and since camera’s didn’t really work on most of them; fey were inherently magic, vampires just didn’t show up, and witches, wizards, druids, warlocks, sorcerers, and mages were more likely to make a camera malfunction. Magical creatures weren’t as likely to make technology malfunction, but most of them preferred to have a quick sketch done, and no one could get into the office unless invited in -- the bonus’ of being a witch and a vampire was that all three of them had the ability to extend magic that applied to them to an area. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Trevor was sitting at the desk, bent over a journal, tapping a pen at the page.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There you two are,” he said, looking up and gave them both a weak smile. “Have I ever mentioned how much I appreciate that you still run this place like a ship, Fredo? Cause I appreciate it, but holy shit, there’s just so much </span>
  <em>
    <span>work.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it’ll happen,” Alfredo said with a grin. “But you’re my first mate, Trevor,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sat down across from his friend, pulling his chair around to the side with one hand and setting Omar in his lap as Matt stayed standing, looking over the assembled papers. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you actually okay with the work, though?” Alfredo asked, concern clear. “I know it’s a lot, and I can-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fredo, I swear to gods, if I hear you say, I can take more work on again, I will hit you upside the head and sic Gavin and Jeremy on you. I’ll add Steffie, Geoff, Jack and Sarah to that, don’t think I won’t,” Trevor threatened. “I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine. </span>
  </em>
  <span>It’s really not that bad, I’m just bitching.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo raised his hand and gave a sheepish smile. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, okay, I was just offering.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fredo,” Matt said, giving him a look. “You don’t need to take on so much work anymore, it’s why you have us. You need to trust us to help you run this place and all the bullshit that happens after,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo heaved a put upon sigh and shook his head. “Oh, to have supportive family that care for my physical and mental health and keep me from being too stupid or harmful to my own body with work,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We had enough of that when you were running yourself ragged when the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wraith </span>
  </em>
  <span>was sea born,” Trevor said with a soft snort, reaching out with a foot and shoving his shin. “Sides that, a b and b is more than enough work for all of us to keep up with.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo just nodded and didn’t try and argue with his friend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right, Trev,” he said with a small shrug. “But, Matt, you’ve got news?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>His change of subject was as subtle as a boon coming around and smacking someone in the head, but neither called him on it. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, the Courts have backed off, thankfully, so there’s that,” Matt started, ticking off his fingers. “This is a fully established neutral point, so anyone who attacks here is going to be immediately persecuted by the Fae Courts, and soon as Wirven steps foot in the bed and breakfast, he’s going to be arrested and dragged off.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Holy shit, wait, what?” Alfredo sat bolt upright, Omar barking sharply at the sound of Wirven’s name. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Trevor’s eyes widened and he sat forward, pressing his hands into the desk. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you saying, Matt?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m saying, Wirven is going to be arrested as soon as he sets foot on our land,” Matt said with a grin. “And that he’s absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucked</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Matthew Bragg, that is the </span>
  <em>
    <span>best </span>
  </em>
  <span>gods damn news you have ever given me,” Alfredo said, letting out an explosive breath. “Holy fuck,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought you’d appreciate that,” Matt said with a grin. “I have a few friend’s that’re waiting for his magic signature to ping, so to speak, and they’ll appear and nab him and his coven. Then they’re no longer our problem.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo leaned back in his seat, staring up at the ceiling for a moment in sheer gratitude. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’s Jeremy been holding up, by the way?” Matt asked. “With the whole,” he made a vague gesture that Alfredo saw in his periphery. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well enough. He’s reckless and won’t slow down for anything, which, I don’t know what I expected really.” he smiled a little, soft and fond. “Gav and I’ve been dating him for two years, and even when he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>mortal </span>
  </em>
  <span>the idea of a personal limit was more like a challenge than a warning to slow down. He just… Wants to </span>
  <em>
    <span>know </span>
  </em>
  <span>so much, about everything. And I’m honestly a little afraid that he’s going to get himself killed or worse.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s worse than dead?” Trevor asked, raising his eyebrows. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo snorted and shoved at him a little with his foot. “You know what I mean. It doesn’t help that he’s still adjusting. Phantom pain is a bitch, and vampire healing doesn’t mean we don’t have things like arthritis or chronic pain. Things carry over from our mortal lives,” he rubbed at Omar’s ears for a moment and laid his head back. “I just… I’m just worried about him, you know? Gavin is too. With Gav and I, we were turned around the same time so we had that adjustment period at the same time and it wasn’t after something traumatic, thankfully, but still wasn’t fun. We also had East and I just...I’m worried I’m being </span>
  <em>
    <span>bad </span>
  </em>
  <span>at being a good boyfriend and a good teacher, when it comes to this life. A lot of it is inherit for me after almost a hundred years, and I don’t remember what I need to remind him about or tell him to do. I also don’t wanna come off as a controlling asshole,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, have you talked to him about this kind of thing?” Trevor asked reasonably. “Jeremy clearly doesn’t resent you or Gavin, or else he would have told you, dude. He’s a pretty upfront guy.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If there’s anything I know about Jeremy,” Matt added, “It’s that if he has a problem he’ll tell you both pretty immediately,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo nodded and gave them a weak smile. “I should talk to him. Gav and I both,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That is how healthy relationships are maintained, I’ve been told,” Matt said with a shit eating grin. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo flipped him off but he didn’t hide his smile, feeling a little more at ease. He looked to the ledger and hummed. “Right, okay, business. We have to prepare cause I sure as hell am not repairing our home if Wirven decides to just flat out attack,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Trevor and Matt nodded, and Matt finally sat down, pulling his own chair close. In the back of his mind, Alfredo hoped that Jeremy and Gavin were alright, unable to stop himself from worrying. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Down on the beach, Jeremy was damp, sand had coated up to his elbow and there was a sand splatter across his back, and he couldn’t be happier. Gavin was squawking as Fiona chased him through the waves, laughing and yelling at him in French as Gavin shouted over his shoulder. Michael was laughing, sat on the sandy ground, his arms wrapped around his stomach and the umbrella was stuck in the ground a few feet away from the tide line where Jeremy and the others had been digging up clams until the sand fight broke out. Jeremy had truthfully started it and then it had devolved from there. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lil J!!” Gavin screeched, sprinting towards him with Fiona hot on his heels. “Lil J, protect me, Lil J!” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeremy laughed and stood up, watching his boyfriend stumble over his feet to get to out to him, Fiona hot on his heels. Jeremy raised an eyebrow at Gavin and stepped to the side just as Gavin got close, making Gavin cry out in betrayal as he was tackled to the ground by Fiona. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jeremy, why’ve you betrayed me, Jeremy!” Gavin moaned from the ground, Fiona grappling with him and giving him a noogie. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because you prolly deserved Fiona tackling you to the ground,” he said with a grin. “You’re a little shit, Gav,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin squirmed and broke Fiona’s grip on him, but both of them were giggling and grinning, so Jeremy knew it wasn’t nearly as bad as he’d thought. He put the clam he was holding in the bucket and went over, holding a hand out to Gavin as he and Fiona separated, laying on their backs in the sand. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, let’s get out of the sun a little bit,” Jeremy said, looking up to the brightening sky, the dappled cloud cover being burned away. “I don’t want to have a wicked sunburn to deal with,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin nodded and took his offered hand, then turned around and helped Fiona to her feet, the younger woman brushing herself off with a soft huff. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go and sit, we’ve got enough clams,” Fiona said with a wave of her hand. “Enjoy your beach day,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeremy just grinned and laced his and Gavin’s fingers together, gently tugging him over to sit down under the umbrella. Michael pushed himself to standing, grinning wildly. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve got some sand everywhere, Gav,” he said. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Gavin flipped him off as Jeremy tugged him to sit under the umbrella, his eyes glowing brilliant gold for a moment. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t see you being any less clean, Boi,” Gavin retorted. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but I wasn’t a moron,” Michael shot back, giggling. “I’m not the one who challenged a fey to a foot race and then tripped her and expected to get away with it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeremy squeezed Gavin’s hand, chuckling as he pouted and let go to brush him off. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Told you, Gav.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Betrayed on all fronts!” Gavin cried dramatically. “By my own Chung, by my lover and my Boi! Is no one safe?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeremy opened his mouth to respond before the hairs on his arms rose and he turned his head, the singing sting of magic in his body rushing through him all at once. There was a scream and then a choked off cry, and then two more screams, this time in rage. Jeremy caught Gavin as his body crumped, folding like a shirt tossed to the ground. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gav, Gavin, look at me,” Jeremy said, curling around his lover protectively, patting his cheek and frantically searching his face. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>The smell of burning clothes, skin and hair nearly made him choke. The sound of fighting filled his ears, but Jeremy didn’t take his eyes off of Gavin, feeling his boyfriend cling to his forearms as he heaved. The spell crackled like the marrow of a lightning storm, vicious and angry, eating into Gavin’s magic and tearing through his body. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“J-J,” Gavin rasped, staring up at him, eyes wild and slightly hazy. “S’kay, I’m okay,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You fucker-!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Michael screamed, the sound morphing into a howl. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Get back here you bitch!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Fiona roared. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound of the fight began to drown out, the crackle of magic and the roar from Michael and the thud of a body from somewhere. Somehow, the magic didn’t so much as glance their way underneath the umbrella, though Jeremy didn’t pay any mind to it. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“J-J, s’okay, don-don’t worry ‘bout it love,” Gavin repeated, clinging to him. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get out of here with that </span>
  <em>
    <span>bullshit,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Jeremy snapped, eyes burning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could taste the acrid burn of magic fighting magic and the heavy ozone of lightning and blood was nauseating. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t close your eyes, do you hear me?” Jeremy demanded. “Don’t go to sleep,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin huffed a weak sound that would have been a start of a laugh and instead just sounded like a strangled whine. Jeremy pulled Gavin more into his arms, hauling him up to sit up a little better as Gavin hissed in pain and magic snapped between them like a whip crack. Jeremy squeezed him tighter and took a slow breath as dark green magic curled down his arms in tangled lines and spilled onto Gavin. It was like vines tangling them together and Jeremy could feel the burning, draining pull all the way to his marrow. Slowly, Gavin’s breathing evened out, deepening as mottled black and blue bruises began to trace up Jeremy’s arms and his organs felt as though they’d been ripped from him and tied in a bow. Blood slicked his lips, slow and painful as his head pounded and there was a burst of ozone. Jeremy collapsed into Gavin like a sand castle that had been kicked over by a wave. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jeremy-Jeremy!!” Gavin shrieked breathlessly, air driven from him with the sudden lack of pain and Jeremy’s full weight sprawled awkwardly across his body, pressing them both into the ground. “J!” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You won’t be able to save him,” Wirven’s voice was like something with too many legs rasping through the underbrush, deeply unsettling and causing uncomfortable shudders to crawl down spines. “You’re too late. He’ll die-” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gods, shut the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck up,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Gavin snapped, stil breathless, but his eyes burned with unshed tears and too much magic. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>He managed to wriggle a hand free and pushed himself upright, curling protectively as he could over Jeremy’s shivering body. Gavin bared at his teeth at the olive skinned man that was inches from his nose. Wirven’s neatly kept hair was tousled and matted with blood, the wound already stitching itself shut, and his arm was sluggishly bleeding, partially ripped from his body and hanging in a very disconcerting angle. His skin was slowly greying, the blood loss slowly taking its toll even with the accelerated healing factor, and Gavin knew it wouldn’t take the man long to die. He didn’t want to wait. With a scream ripped from the base of his chest, the spell garbled and fueled with his rage,  Gavin reared back as best he could and punched Wirven’s jaw, watching as lightning crackled from his closed fist to the other vampire. There was the smell of ozone and a scream that started and then stopped as lightning ate and ravaged through Wirven with ease, leaving a burning burst of cooling glass. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jeremy, Jeremy, can you hear me?” Gavin demanded, having turned his attention to his boyfriend the second his fist left Wirven’s skin, not even deigning to look at the other’s ravaged remains. “Jeremy!” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>The shorter man was shivering nigh uncontrollably, the blood that oozed from his nose drying at least and his chest rose and fell in desperate stutters, bruises mottled up the sides of his arms and around his neck and shoulders like he’d been in a horrific fight. Gavin laid him down for a moment and put his head to his boyfriend’s chest, holding his breath for a long moment to just make sure. A slow, but steady, thumping reached his ear, and in its echo, the rabbit frantic beat of straining magic, curling towards his like it were all that would keep it going. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, J,” Gavin whispered, relief, gratefulness, pain and a thousand other emotions crashing through him simultaneously. “Oh, you wonderful, stupid man,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jeremy-?” Fiona asked, her voice barely audible. “Is he-?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin picked up his head and looked to his friend, sure tears were in his eyes but he couldn’t tell with the lingering sting of his lightning crackling through him. Fiona’s brilliant golden-yellow glow made her skin a brilliant copper and was equally dazzling, though it was dimming, her powerful wings folding up to disappear once more. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s alive,” he croaked. “He just… I’ve never had it done to me,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fiona all but collapsed to the sand, relief washing through her. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” she asked, keeping her eyes on Jeremy. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where’s Michael?” Gavin asked instead. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fiona pointed further down the beach where Michael was coming back with a body slung over his shoulder, the man nearly fully transformed and his clothes ripping with each movement. The werewolf’s thick grey-black fur was splattered with blood and gore, and Michael’s muzzle up to his eyes was still dripping with it, his ears pinned back and a purpose in his stride. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He took the curse off me,” Gavin said, not looking at Fiona, turning his attention back to his lover. “He took the curse off me and I don’t-I don’t know what’ll it do to him. I know-know his magic, it’ll work. It’ll keep him safe, yeah, but what if it doesn’t let him wake up? What if he can’t walk or talk? I mean, we’ll adapt and learn, obviously, but just, what if he just doesn't wake up?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, Gavin, listen to me,” Fiona’s voice was sharp and cut through the surge of panic. “Are you listening?” when he nodded, she continued, “Good. What’s going to happen is we’re going to get Lil J back up to the cottage, and then we’re going to get him to bed and let him heal. And then, we’re going to let his magic do it’s work. Okay? Okay. Now, let’s go.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was the faintest tremble to her voice, though Gavin knew that it wasn’t something that would be easy to pick up on. He took a deep breath and nodded, feeling his legs tremble in adamant protest at the very idea of pushing himself to stand, let alone carry Jeremy as well. He ignored that and gently scooped Jeremy up into his arms and stood, Fiona putting her hands out to help keep him steady before putting a hand on his elbow, letting him lean on her a little more, which he gave her a thankful nod for. Healing was always draining, as it was forcing the body to exponentially repair the damage done and then be able to process what could be replenished in the same instant, and it was even more exhausting for the healer when magic was involved. Healers like Jeremy were laid out immediately with their magic. Gavin knew that, knew that Jeremy would wake up, but the sheer amount of magic he’d felt coursing through him was more than intense, and Wirven’s magic was aggressive, attacking the magic of his target, then moving into their body and tearing them apart. Gavin knew that Jeremy’s magic was.<br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michael caught up with them and looked between them, his eyes widening in shock. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Is he okay?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> he signed with one hand. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fiona nodded. “Alive and breathing, just taking out the trash in a nasty curse,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michael nodded and tilted his head back to howl, long and loud. There was barely a beat before Geoff appeared, slightly breathless, shadows still pooling around his feet, bright blue eyes slightly wide. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” he demanded. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Wirven attacked, hit me, J healed me and now he’s hurting, and I glassed him. I don’t-” Gavin stopped, feeling tears well up like bile in his throat. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Geoff’s expression softened and he nodded. “Okay. The other’s heard Michael’s howl and will meet us at the house, I’m going to warp you three up there. Michael, you good?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded, adding in sign, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah. Go. Meet you there,</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Geoff nodded and put his hands on Fiona and Gavin’s shoulders, squeezing tight as he could. They each took a quick, deep breath before the ground was gone, replaced with a jolting sensation in their stomachs as though they’d just woken up from a dream like they’d been falling. Fiona groaned, her jaw clenched tight and she stumbled for a moment. Gavin wavered in place, Jeremy’s body almost dragging at him. Geoff caught him and made a concerned noise in the base of his throat, but Gavin didn’t have time to formulate a response as Alfredo appeared, the front door banging open and his hands were covered in flames. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” he demanded, sharp eyes jumping from person to person. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wirven and his coven attacked us on the beach, Gav got hit and Jeremy healed him,” Fiona relayed as Gavin struggled to find any words. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fire vanished in a heartbeat and Geoff moved away to let Alfredo near, the man’s burning hands cupping Gavin’s face as he looked his love over near frantically, and then turned his attention to Jeremy in his arms, panic and fear making his shoulders creep upwards as he tensed. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fredo,” Gavin started before he stopped, unsure what he could even begin to say. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s get him inside,” Alfredo said. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Geoff nodded and took Jeremy from Gavin’s arms, ignoring his protests and how he tried to tighten his grip on his lover. Geoff gave him a look that had him giving Jeremy over, no longer able to find it in him to fight. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll get him upstairs. Fredo, get Gavin some blood. He’s liable to collapse. Fifi, go get Jack, Trevor and Matt, they’re with Omar -- he’s reverted to being a hellhound, and Sarah, Steffie and Linds are headed towards the beach. The Courts are here, and they’ll want a body, or the glassed body,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded, straightening her shoulders as purpose other than worry and panic settled over her. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Got it,” she looked at Gavin and Alfredo and gave them a gentle smile. “He’ll pull through. He’s been through worse,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin nodded, leaning into Alfredo as he wrapped an arm around his waist, slinging Gavin’s other arm over his shoulder and lacing their fingers together. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Alfredo said, giving a weaker smile in return. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded and jogged off to find Matt and Trevor. Geoff already headed inside, walking instead of warping through the shadows, though one of his tattoos glowed ever so slightly, making him speed up. Alfredo pulled Gavin to one of the tables and sat down, pulling his shirt collar away  as Gavin blearily leaned in and bit down. Alfredo wrapped a free arm around his waist, thumb rubbing at his hip slowly. The vicious pain of bites didn’t register beyond a beat of pain and then the steady feeling of his blood leaving him, his heart speeding up as it tried to keep up with the blood loss. Gavin finally pulled away and pressed a soft kiss to the healed bite marks, licking the blood away from his lips, his tongue swiping against Alfredo’s skin and shirt as he let go of it. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You okay, baby?” Alfredo asked, squeezing Gavin’s waist a little. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin made a quiet noise and leaned into his lover’s side, letting out a shaky breath as Alfredo stood up, keeping his arm around Gavin’s waist. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Physically, emotionally or mentally?” he muttered. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Physically like I’ve been thrown from a cliff again. Emotionally like my heart’s been ripped out and staked into the ground with a railroad spike, and mentally I am just fucking done.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo rubbed at his hip and hummed quietly, pulling Gavin closer to him and laying his head on Gavin’s. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’ll be okay, baby,” Alfredo murmured. “He’s gonna be okay. Geoff trained him, he knows how to help Jeremy. It’ll be okay,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin heaved a sigh and nodded a little, though he didn’t answer right away. Alfredo pulled him close and they followed Geoff silently inside and upstairs to their room, the distant sound of yelling fey fading until it disappeared. Geoff was laying Jermey down on the bed and started to pull off his shoes and socks, then started on his pants. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two, get me some pajamas, something for him to lay in and won’t make him uncomfortable. And your most well worn hoodies. They’re comforting and the built up intent and comfort behind them will go a long way to making him wake up sooner.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin and Alfredo nodded, Alfredo reluctantly letting Gavin go to go to their closet. He grabbed his favorite hoodie and then Gavin’s, the soft, worn fabric and faded logos a comforting sight. He brought them over to the bed as Geoff finished undressing Jeremy and Gavin pulled out Jeremy’s pajamas, handing them over to the older man before both of them hovered anxiously out of the way, pressed together. Geoff dressed Jeremy quickly, covering up the sickly bruising that spanned around his thighs and up around his ribs and heart, the thick scar tissue standing out in stark white against the black-purple bruises. Gavin looked much better than he had a few minutes ago at least, which made Alfredo feel a little better, a little happier, and Gavin felt a little warmer instead of slab cold. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Geoff grunted as he hauled Jeremy up to lean against him as he maneuvered the younger witch into a shirt. “There we are. He’ll be out for a few days at the least, since it was a curse that he healed off you, Gav, but there’s no fluctuation to his magic, and his heart’s still going strong. His body’s essentially gone into stasis while it heals so much, so he won’t need blood, food or water, and you won’t have to worry about him making a mess of the bed. It’ll essentially be like waiting for him to wake up from turning, though instead of a day, it’s a few.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Geoff was clearly trying to make them feel better and Gavin gave him a shaky smile. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Geoffers,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Course, Gavvers,” he smiled. “I’m here for all my idiot kids,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re both older than you by like, a hundred years,” Alfredo pointed out with a wry smile. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And yet, I’m the most adult asshole among you lot,” Geoff retorted, grinning. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin smiled thinly and pulled away from Alfredo to sit beside Jeremy, looking at him, hand hovering like he wanted to touch but wasn’t sure if he should. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alfredo,” Geoff said quietly. “Come on, you need to come with me and talk to the fey and get Omar and Juni to stop being hellbeasts.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded and looked to Gavin. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be right back, okay?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded slightly, putting a hand on Jeremy’s incredibly gently. “Okay,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo bit back a sigh and went over, pressing a kiss to Gavin’s temple. “He’ll be okay, Gav, I know he will,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin didn’t say anything, merely leaned into Alfredo for a beat. They stayed like that for a few moments before Gavin nudged him with a shoulder. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go on,” he muttered. “Go and take care of the courts before we’ve got the minging bastards invading our space,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo huffed quietly but didn’t argue and looked to Geoff, who was admiring one of Jeremy’s drawings to give them a sense of pseudo-privacy. He appreciated it even if it were a fruitless endeavor and went over to his friend, putting a hand on his shoulder and they quietly left. Geoff didn’t say anything as they walked down the hall, though the sound of multiple voices overlapping each other was more than enough to give Alfredo a migraine and he wished Gavin were there with him to face the court officials he could only imagine were there. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’ll be okay,” Geoff said as they neared the bottom of the stairs. “Jeremy, Gav, all this shit with the courts, it’ll be okay,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo just nodded. He didn’t have the energy to try and refute the other man and instead focused on pulling himself together enough. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the fuck do you mean, </span>
  <em>
    <span>he’s been glassed,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” someone was shouting. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly as I said. G punched him and then there was nothing left of him.” Fiona said calmly. “I don’t know what else you want me to tell you my man.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nova, this is </span>
  <em>
    <span>serious.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, what’s serious is one of my friends is fucking laid out, healing from a gods damn </span>
  <em>
    <span>curse. </span>
  </em>
  <span>That’s what’s serious!” she snapped back. “Are you kidding me? You have three of his coven alive and not torn to shreds, and y’all were going to kill him-Oh my gods. Oh my gods, are you just butt hurt, Ash, that you didn’t get to be the one to kill him? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Really?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m upset that I’m going to have to deal with a fuck ton of paperwork.” Ash snapped back, their voice hard. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo heaved a sigh and walked into the dining room where it seemed everyone had congregated and simply stood in the doorway, arms crossed. Fiona and Ash were standing closest to him, Ash’s intricate braids a little ruffled, their dark brown hair akin to fresh earth, flowers woven into the braids brilliant shades of blue, pink and white. Their almond skin was flushing with annoyance, their bright brown eyes practically blazing amber as their dress fluttered, rich autumn reds and browns, with hints of gold and silver here and there. Ash took a deep breath and seemed to calm down and Alfredo continued to look around the room. Matt was standing behind Fiona, a show of numbers and support, and beside Ash was the Unseelie court representative, Willow. He was short and stocky, almost a mirror image of Jeremy, except with dark olive skin and thick blue-black hair that curled and weaved as though in the wind. In sharp contrast to Ash, Willow wore silver’s and blues, his skirt floor length and a buttoned up coat of midnight blue stitched with delicate snowflakes, his eyes nearly black. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Sitting down was Trevor, Lindsay and Jack, the three of them looking worried, and Juniper was in Lindsay’s arms, though the weggie’s fur was still more smoke than actual fur, and Omar was sitting in front of Michael and Steffie, the corgi still a little too big to be a corgi and his teeth were still poking out of his mouth. Michael was leaning against the wall, the other man still partially a wolf, though he was at least in fresh clothes and had lost his tail and some of the fur along his arms. He still had the face of a wolf and his glasses were hanging from his shirt, arms crossed in front of his stomach, ears twitching. Steffie was similarly shifted, the werebear similarly stuck with her face that of a grizzly bear and her glasses hooked over the front of her shirt. Sarah was a tawny owl, resting on her girlfriend’s shoulder, puffed out to make herself a little bigger, blinking bright golden eyes at everyone else in the room. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t need to worry too much,” Jack pointed out. “We’ve got three of his coven, and you’ve got the glassed portion of the beach. There’s nothing else to really do at this point.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The posturing is senseless,” Steffie said, her voice lower than normal and a little growl edging her words. “You both have what you came for, and right now you’ve nothing more to do but bitch about bureaucracy.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo grinned at her, feeling a need to laugh well up inside him as he watched Ash and Willow look at her, utterly flabbergasted. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You heard her,” Michael said, grinning, mouth full of dagger sharp teeth, his voice similarly growling and rolling. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Was I called down here to settle anything or are y’all done?” Alfredo asked, putting on his Shut The Fuck Up and Listen Voice, as the others liked to call it. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash and Willow shared a looked before Willow signed, <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Apologies, Coven Leader. We’re trying to figure out who shall take Wirven’s remains and the remains of his coven, and what to do with the bodies,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So long as you get it all off my property and beach, I don’t give a damn.” Alfredo said dryly. “I want them gone and destroyed.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash nodded and gave Willow a look. “That’s one thing we’ve come to agreement on.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, there’s wait, eight of them that’re dead?” Trevor said. “Each of you take four and then split up the remainder. There’s only three that’re left alive.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll take the two Unseeily that’re alive.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Willow said immediately. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Mags would like to question them herself.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo nodded. “Done. Ash, you get Wirven’s glassed remains and the remaining person. Each of you’ll get four of the remains of the rest of the coven. Find the ones that belonged to your courts and give them their burials.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pair nodded, sharing a look before they vanished with a soft </span>
  <em>
    <span>pop. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Jack huffed and rolled his eyes as Fiona threw her hands up in the air. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fucking court fey! They’re so full of themselves. Assholes!” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sarah flew off of Steffie’s shoulder, dropping her owl shape before she hit the ground and brushed herself off, snorting. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’ve been that way since they got here. Their people are scouring the beaches for any signs of residual magic from Wirven and his coven, so we should be free of him soon.” her eyes softened as she asked, “How’s Lil J holding up?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s essentially in stasis,” Geoff said as Alfredo heaved a big breath, struggling to even find words to start with. “He’ll wake up in a few days and be sore as fuck, but he’ll be okay,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He shouldn’t even </span>
  <em>
    <span>be </span>
  </em>
  <span>in stasis!” the words burst out of Alfredo before he could stop himself but once he started he couldn’t stop. “Literally, everything about today shouldn’t have happened. Wirven’s bullshit attack, Gavin getting cursed and Jeremy taking it on-” he ran his hands through his hair, wincing as his wrists pulsed painfully and pulled his hands down again. “Just, all of today is fucked.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know buddy,” Geoff said, putting a hand on his back. “But Jeremy’s strong, and more than that, he’s stubborn. This is what he does, and nothing you say or do will ever stop him.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you’re worried, Fredo,” Jack said gently. “But Geoff’s right. Jeremy’s healed me from worse in the past, and he’s always pulled through.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo let out a long breath, forcing himself to calm down. “I know Jack, I know. It’s all just...Too close. We already almost lost him once, and that was barely a </span>
  <em>
    <span>month </span>
  </em>
  <span>ago. And it was because of Wirven then too. This time he healed Gavin, and fuck am I glad that both of them aren’t laid up, I just…” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Worry,” Michael said sympathetically. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, hey, it’ll be okay,” Steffie said, her voice slowly becoming more and more normal as she turned more human. “It’s only going to be a few days. Lil J will be up and running around in no time,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo just gave a mute nod, his words vanishing as the stress and tension flooded out of him. He felt empty and tired. Geoff rubbed his back slowly and sighed. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll figure out a rotation cycle to keep an eye on Jeremy, okay?” he said gently. “You just go back to Gav and Lil J for now, but we’re gonna make sure you two idiots eat and take care of yourself.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo huffed but nodded and patted his leg. Omar got to his feet and trotted over, looking more and more like the usual corgi and Juniper jumped from Lindsay’s arms to trot across the table and jump down, then crawl up Alfredo’s leg and back to settle on his shoulders, purring loudly. He smiled and nodded to his family before making his way back upstairs, footsteps heavy and sliding. By the time he got back up to Gavin, his lover was curled up in his own pajamas gently holding Jeremy’s hand. He picked his head up when Alfredo came in, smiling as Juniper leapt from Alfredo’s shoulders to get to the bed, immediately claiming Jeremy’s chest to curl up in a ball. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Juni,” Gavin mumbled, craning his neck to look at Omar, who was snuffling at Gavin’s side. “Hey Omar,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo stripped out of his own clothes to get into his pajamas as Gavin shifted to pick Omar up, putting him on Alfredo’s side of the bed. The small dog sniffed at Jeremy, whining softly as he nosed at his hip and stomach before he put his head down, looking up the length of Jeremy’s body. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know buddy,” Gavin muttered. “He’ll wake up sooner than you think,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo rolled his wrists and pulled on his gloves, slowly curling and uncurling his fingers as he looked over at the little gathering on their bed. His heart hurt and the smell of old blood, the sickeningly weak gasps for air, the gurgle and pulse, screaming filled his ears. He wanted to cry and rubbed at his eyes with a sniff. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fredo?” Gavin asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” he turned around, unashamed of the tears in his eyes. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, come here, love,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was like a string pulling taught at his heart and Alfredo went easily, practically stumbling to get over to Gavin. He all but collapsed into the bed, grunting softly as he landed and then shifted to lay on his side, reaching over and around Omar to reach Gavin, who wound their fingers together. Alfredo propped his head up on his arm, partially sinking into his pillow and just listened to Jeremy breathe, feeling a touch of comfort that Jeremy was alive and not going to be asleep for three weeks as he healed. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wake up soon, Lil J,” Gavin mumbled as he rubbed his thumb over the side of Alfredo’s pointer finger. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neither of them really wanted to sleep, but the emotional drain of the last forty minutes had them slipping down the slippery slope into unconsciousness. Gavin woke up hours later, hungry and stiff and felt like he’d just jolted out of a crypt. His and Alfredo’s hands were still joined together. He shifted little, looking at the side of Jeremy’s face. The gentle curve of his cheek and the way his nose rounded out at the tip, the fluff of his beard and the sound of his gentle breathing. It was all familiar as though they were waking up together after a long day. Only there was no soft murmur as Jeremy woke up, no flicker behind his eyelids, nothing but steady, slow breathing and the faint rise and fall of his chest. Juniper was watching Gavin, one eye open and her ear flicked a few times before she closed her eye again and let out a rumbling purr. Gavin squeezed Alfredo’s hand gently, though his other lover didn’t so much as shift and he hummed quietly, unsure if he were relieved or disappointed before he slowly pulled himself out of bed and slipped out of the room. He headed towards the kitchen, intent to get some blood and fill his stomach. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gav?” Fiona’s voice nearly made him jump as he reached the bottom of the stairs and he turned around, putting a hand to his heart. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gods, Fifi, you nearly scared me to death.” he said. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>She snorted weakly. “You’re already mostly dead, wouldn’t be too much of a stretch,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin gave a weak smile and fumbled the blood bag that she tossed towards him. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was coming up to give you and Fredo some blood,” she said at his confused noise. “Didn’t think you’d wake up,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin made a soft noise, not bothering to answer as he bit down on the special nozzle for vampires that let him drink as though it were from a straw. The blood was warm and heady, taking the edge off his nerves as his stomach filled. Fiona headed towards the couch and he followed, sitting next to her and leaning against her shoulder. Neither of them said anything for a long while, even after Gavin had finished off both blood bags  and was trying to press the lines out of the bag from where he’d sucked it dry. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m scared, Fifi,” he admitted softly. “I’m really scared. It’ll be a few days, yeah. But it feels like years already. We just got him back on his feet,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fredo said something similar earlier,” Fiona murmured, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “But this is what he </span>
  <em>
    <span>does, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Gav. It was his decision to use his magic, and it’s his body and magic. Even if you’re scared, you can’t have him promise to never use it on you or Alfredo again, that would tear him apart, and you know it. He’d be in the same position you’re in right now an you know it.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know,” Gavin mumbled, leaning his head against her’s, letting a long breath out through his nose. “I know. It’s just...He just got used to moving around again. He’s been a vampire for a month and two weeks, Fifi. I...I just...I’m so scared,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You keep saying,” she huffed, squeezing his shoulder tightly. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin bit back a growl. “It’s all I can think. How still he is, that he’s so fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>new </span>
  </em>
  <span>to all of this, what he did--I should be the one laying there, not him. Wirven’s magic, it was like it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>eating mine, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Fiona.” he shuddered at the phantom pain. “It...it was eating mine and it was like it wouldn’t let go.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fiona went quiet before she squeezed Gavin again and rubbed at his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know that he can come back from it, that he’s done so </span>
  <em>
    <span>much </span>
  </em>
  <span>but I can’t get the feeling out of my head, Fiona,” his voice lowered, threadbare. “I can’t...I can’t lose him. Not when we just got him back.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t say anything for a long few minutes, simply hugged him and let him process. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jeremy’s strong,” she said finally. “And I mean that, in every aspect. He’s so gods damn strong, Gavin, and he’s got a reason to come back now. He’s got you and Fredo, and the rest of us too. You know Jack’ll drag his ass back from the land of the dead if he tries to slip away. But that won’t happen.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin just leaned into her and let out a long breath. “Yeah.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stayed down in the main room for a while, simply existing together, neither one wanting to pull away and leave the comfort of the other, soft and steady. At some point, Gavin wasn’t too sure when, he finally pulled away, wordless and gave Fiona a smile. He made a quick stop at the kitchen to get blood for Alfredo, warming it and tossing his used blood bags in the medical waste bin before heading back upstairs. By the time he reached their bedroom, Gavin paused. The shadows were cool and long, draped around his lovers, though Alfredo was sitting upright, hand resting on Jeremy’s chest and his head tilted back and eyes closed. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Gavin murmured, leaning against the door. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Heya,” Alfredo said, opening an eye, head turning slightly to face him. “Good?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin hummed softly and walked over to the bed and climbed up in, laying so he was blanketed over Alfredo, his head resting on his shoulder and blood sitting neatly between them. He suddenly violently missed the steady creak of the ship in the middle of the ocean, the slosh of waves against the sides and the low moan of the mast timbers against the strain of the anchor. Land was too stil, and though the cottage was made of the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wraith’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>timbers, it wasn’t the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I miss the sea,” he whispered into Alfredo’s shoulder, lips skimming over his neck. “I miss the waves and the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wraith. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I wish Jeremy could have seen her in her prime, I wish this day had never happened. I wish that we were pirates and not retired, and I want Jeremy to be awake,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo wrapped his free arm around Gavin’s back and fisted his hand into his shirt, letting out a long breath. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know,” was all he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Drink up,” Gavin murmured. “You need it.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo nodded and picked up the blood bag, turning his head a little so he didn’t drink directly in Gavin’s ear. He wasn’t sure if he’d have minded one way or the other, but he appreciated Alfredo’s courtesy and pulled his head up so Alfredo could move around and toss the blood bag out, then start on the second. Gavin looked to Jeremy, dead asleep still, Juniper rising and falling as he breathed and Omar curled up tight in between his and Alfredo’s hips, Gavin’s knee brushing against the corgi’s side. When Alfredo made a quiet noise, Gavin tore his gaze away and looked back to his other love, blinking slowly, feeling as though he were stuck in molasses. He leaned into Alfredo’s touch as he put a hand to his cheek, turning slightly to press a kiss to his palm. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you,” he murmured against the rope burn callouses, beard and lips scratching against them. “I love you so much,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too,” Alfredo whispered, thumb rubbing against his jaw. “Don’t leave,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t plan on it,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo gave a weak laugh and hugged him tight, Gavin snaking his arms underneath Alfredo to hug him back. They laid there, moving to lay down fully when Alfredo got tired, but it was a kernel of comfort. When morning finally broke, neither of them got much sleep, if any, and after checking Jeremy, sleep dragged them back down. Around midday, Lindsay came up to drag them out of bed with help from Jack, both of them clearly worried about the pair. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come and eat something not blood,” they said, voice gentle and firm in only the way that Lindsay could be. “They’ll be okay and worry about you not taking care of yourselves,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was enough to get them to move, Juniper and Omar joining to get food with them. The others were downstairs, gathered around the main table and quietly chattering, and it was easy to slip into conversation all over again like there was nothing going on. The routine was nice, and Trevor forced Alfredo and Gavin to stay downstairs with Geoff and Jack, while he and Lindsay went to go check on Jeremy. Steffie and Sarah were tending to the garden, chattering with Michael and Fiona as Matt went to the kitchen to take care of the dishes. Geoff pulled Gavin into a conversation immediately about a new book he’d been reading and Jack pulled Alfredo into a conversation immediately about some plans to update the magic around the cottage and building a new cottage. Before either of them knew it, they were being dragged through the day in projects to keep the bed and breakfast running, since there was always something that needed attention somewhere.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time they were back in bed, they were tired but in a way that meant they’d worked all day instead of worrying themselves to exhaustion. Jeremy’s body had healed a little more, that much was clear from the fading bruises. The dark blue-purple had begun to fade to a sickly green, and in some spots had faded entirely, which was a sign that he was a few steps closer to be being awake. They fell asleep that night with hope buoying them. When they woke up the next morning, it was a repeat of the previous day; they would go downstairs to eat with the others and someone else would go upstairs to watch over Jeremy and make sure that he was healing, and that there was nothing left over from the curse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next three days passed much the same way, though Gavin and Alfredo couldn’t stop the worry from eating at them bit by bit, everyone could see it. It was clear as the sun in the sky or the waves that beat against the shore, and no amount of reassurances, or the fading bruising, would ease it. When Jeremy woke up, it was slow and heavy, the push and pull of his magic finally letting him up to breathe for a moment. He looked around, eyelids almost too heavy to move but he managed it. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Lil J?” Steffie’s voice was quiet like she wasn’t sure if he had a migraine or not, which he appreciated. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Steffie,” he mumbled, tongue thick in his mouth, almost catching on his fangs. “What’s up?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>She let out a bubbling laugh and moved, the bed shifting a little under her weight. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Only you,” she said between giggling bursts of laughter. “Would wake up from a week long coma and ask what’s up. Gods Lil J,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fredo? Gav?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine and worried about you,” she said, sitting so one leg dangled off the edge of the bed and she could reach him if needed. “Everyone else is just fine too. Wirven’s been glassed, and there’s nothing that could stop the Court’s from losing their gods damn minds at that particular line of thinking. They wanted to prosecute him themselves, and likely fight each other over the “right” to kill him, so you know,” she gave a one shouldered shrug. “That goes bout as well as you’d think. They got their dead sorted out though, and Wirven’s long been taken care of. The beach was scoured too, so there’s literally nothing left of him.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good,” Jeremy closed his eyes, laying back with a happy sigh as he closed his eyes again. “Not sleeping,” he added. “Just can’t keep my eyes open.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I getcha,” she said with a nod. “Uhh, what else? Oh, Fredo and Jack’ve been working on the magic around the cottage, so it fluctuates less often with all of our magics. We’ll be able to have more than one or two laptops in here now, which’ll be nice, and I think Geoff started to get Gavin into the idea of a new cottage for the spring. They wanna bring Jaren and Larry in too, and Alec, the three of them are getting tired of wandering around near aimlessly.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Be good to see them,” he mumbled. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Steffie hummed in agreement. “I’d fill you in on the rest of the going’s on, but I think Alfredo and Gavin would kill me themselves if I didn’t tell them you were awake” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They could </span>
  <em>
    <span>try,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Jeremy said with a faint smile, cracking his eye open. “Help me sit up so I don’t fall asleep?” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’d fall asleep in a recliner in front of the fire,” she retorted before leaning in and helping him sit upright. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steffie held up up near effortlessly, which was an impressive feat since he was basically limp despite trying to keep himself upright on shaking arms. She hummed a song under her breath, one he recognized as one of his own with a faint smile, and pulled the pillows behind him to keep him upright. Satisfied, she let him lean back and nodded. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There. Don’t try and get out of bed, okay? You need to eat first, and then you can try it. You’re lucky,” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>He just nodded, in no mood to argue. Jeremy felt a weariness in his bones and a cold ache in his heart that had him lifting his hand and rubbing at it to try and get the phantom pain to leave him alone. Steffie hummed and gave his knee a gentle squeeze before she scooted off the bed and left. Jeremy leaned his head back, hand stilling and merely resting against his chest, feeling the slow, steady beat of his heart against his palm and took a slow, deep breath, feeling like his lungs should be rattling and aching, or filled with blood and pain. There was no lingering taste of blood, no jolting rasp in his chest or the stuttering pain of a gaping wound in his chest, or pain that came in waves. Just slow easy breathing that left him feeling near light headed. The pounding of several pairs of feet and the sudden cry, <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jeremy!” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Startled him out of his thoughts. He had a brief moment of an empty bed before Juniper landed on his legs, and the mattress shifted as Alfredo and Gavin all but threw themselves on it, Omar squirming out of one of their arms to land on the other side of his legs. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” he said, opening his eyes slowly. “How’re you doing, loves?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo gave a helpless laugh and Gavin just bent over his legs, squeaking as his shoulders shook. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You-!” Gavin started, only to stop as words left him in a vicious sob. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>arse! </span>
  </em>
  <span>You absolute tosspot! Do you know how much you scared me shitless?!” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeremy reached out for Gavin and he sniffled, shifting himself over Jeremy’s legs and crawled up so he could hug him properly. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Jeremy mumbled, clinging to Gavin. “I’m so sorry, but you-it was eating you, Gav. I couldn’t let that happen.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know,” Gavin mumbled. “But you </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>woke up, Jeremy. I can’t…” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t lose you,” Alfredo finished. “Neither of us can.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not,” Jeremy promised, sniffing. “I promise. Told you once, I’ll tell you again and again, you’re not gonna lose me.” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good,” Alfredo and Gavin choursed. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo rubbed at his eyes with his palm, sniffing. “Gods, fuck you need blood, you’ve been in stasis for a week,” <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin made a soft noise and pulled away, looking Jeremy over. “You look like shit, Lil J,” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Love you too,” he smiled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo shook his head and sighed. “You need to eat, Jeremy,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not from you,” Jeremy said firmly. “I’m not fucking your wrists up, Fredo. And I’m a little covered in animals at the moment to drink from your neck.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin picked Juniper up and settled, Omar moving from his hip to Gavin’s lap with a snort. Alfredo smiled and swung one leg over Jeremy’s waist and put his hands gently on Jeremy’s shoulders, bumping their foreheads together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were saying?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m really dumb?” Jeremy said, a touch weak. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo chuckled, dark brown eyes staring into Jeremy’s. “Prolly, but I love you.” he put a hand on Jeremy’s cheek, smiling as his shorter lover turned his head and kissed his palm and then his wrist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Love you too,” he murmured, smiling against his callouses, beard and lips scratching. “Now come here and give me a proper kiss,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo didn’t need any further encouragement and leaned in, turning his head a little to the side and pressing a sweet kiss to Jeremy’s lips. It started out slow and sweet, little more than lips pressing against the others, but soon as Alfredo pulled away for a moment, he was leaning back in just as quickly, one hand holding Jeremy’s face gently, the other still resting on his shoulder as the kiss slowly heated up, nips and breathless pants escaping both of them before Alfredo fully pulled away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t get any more kisses until you eat, Jeremy,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeremy pouted at him but Gavin added, </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You won’t get anything from me, either, J, unless it’s blood. Don’t be a toss pot,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, to be so loved by my boyfriends that they won’t continue to make out with me and instead force me to drink blood,” Jeremy sighed dramatically, a smile in his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, we’re awful,” Alfredo deadpanned, struggling to keep down a laugh. “Now come on and drink,” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Jeremy nodded and with help from Gavin and Alfredo getting to his knees for a moment, the three of them sorted themselves out. Jeremy leaned against the pillows, fully sitting upright, and Alfredo was perched on his thighs, legs spread and settled happily, Gavin was leaning against Jeremy’s side, Juniper in his lap and Omar at their feet, the pair content that the three of them weren’t going to do something stupid. Alfredo pulled his shirt off with how much Jeremy would take from him and then Gavin in order to replenish what he’d lost, though the whole scene was sharply reminding him of the month prior, when Jeremy had woken up for the first time, and fed from the both of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo was jolted from the memories with a butterfly kiss to his neck before Jeremy bit down. The pain was there before it was gone and Alfredo held himself still, eyes closing. The sensation was always going to feel a little odd, but it was patience that kept him still. He kept one hand loosely wrapped around the back of Jeremy’s neck, ready to pull him away out of the ingrained fear to keep from too much blood being taken, though it was now a secure point and he rubbed his thumb against the base of Jeremy’s skull. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need to shave, love,” he mumbled as Jeremy huffed quietly against him. “I’m serious. I can feel the fuzz growing in,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeremy just hummed and after another minute, pulled away, licking the blood that oozed from the holes in steady spurts away. He pressed a kiss to the bruise that was already starting to grow on Alfredo’s neck and licked his lips as Alfredo pulled himself off Jeremy’s lap to settle on his other side. Gavin just wriggled his eyebrows and offered out his wrist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gonna punch me like a capri sun, Lil J?” he asked, getting a wet laugh in return. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep talking and I’ll just punch you,” Jeremy mock threatened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ohh, don’t tease me,” Gavin shot back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfredo merely rolled his eyes and pulled his shirt back on, ignoring the dual whines from his partners. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Show’s over, boys,” he said with a smirk. “You can have more later, after you eat,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeremy and Gavin shared a look that Alfredo knew he should be worried about, but instead made him a little excited, and he watched Jeremy bite into Gavin’s forearm. It was slow and steady and Gavin’s free hand reached up to rub at the back of Jeremy’s head, squeezing a little tighter than Alfredo had, his thumb rubbing in slow circles. There was a soft noise from Jeremy and Gavin just hummed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep drinking, love.” he said. “You need it, and we’ll make sure you get some blood bags too,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeremy made another quiet noise and once he was full, he pulled away, licking the blood away from Gavin’s arm and pressed a kiss to the bruise. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” he rasped, looking more alert. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome,” Gavin smiled. “Kiss?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Thought you didn’t like kissing after eating?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“S’different when it’s my blood, or Fredo’s, or your’s,” Gavin defended. “There’s no reason to be picky there, since I drink from you two, and visa versa. Sides that, it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>my </span>
  </em>
  <span>blood. I’ve already got that in my mouth because saliva-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeremy cut him off with a kiss that turned into a jumbled mess of laughter before he managed to properly kiss Gavin, Alfredo’s hand a warm weight on his back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re insufferable,” Jeremy hummed against Gavin’s lips, their beards scraping together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You love me,” Gavin simpered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmmnn, I do,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeremy leaned in and gave him another slow, heated kiss before he finally pulled away, resting his forehead on Gavin’s, his other hand reaching over for Alfredo’s, who gave it to him happily. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Both of you,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We love you too,” Alfredo murmured, pressing a kiss to the still fading bite mark on Jeremy’s neck -- it would take another two months at least for the turning mark to fade away completely. “With every fiber of our being,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmn-mn,” Gavin nodded, cozying up to Jeremy’s side. “Now, let’s get some sleep before we go get the others,” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Jeremy gave a sleepy smile, feeling a little drunk as a new wave of comfortable exhaustion washed over him. He had a full stomach, he was warm and he had the love’s of his life holding him tight as they could. There was nothing that could pull them away from each other. Never again. </span>
</p>
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